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Omega (Academy, Bk 4)
Omega - Academy, Bk 4
Author: Jack McDevitt
For a quarter of a century, humanity has watched as the malignant omega clouds have destroyed every civilization they have come across. Now, it's Earth's turn -- but not for another nine hundred years. A cloud has switched direction, heading straight for a previously unexplored planetary system-and its living pre-technological alien soci...  more »
PBS Market Price: $8.09 or $4.19+1 credit
ISBN-13: 9780441012107
ISBN-10: 0441012108
Publication Date: 10/26/2004
Pages: 493
Rating:
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 73

3.9 stars, based on 73 ratings
Publisher: Ace Books
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Members Wishing: 1
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Omega (Academy, Bk 4) on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
If you like wordy science fiction in the vein of the masters Asimov and Clarke then this will be a delight to read. Humanity watches as another world is in engulfed by an Omega cloud. They are determined to help but must do so with out beind discovered.
reviewed Omega (Academy, Bk 4) on + 522 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
author is always interesting.....
reviewed Omega (Academy, Bk 4) on + 48 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
good old-fashioned hard science fiction, with a problem to be solved, a mystery to unravel, and likable characters
xserafinx avatar reviewed Omega (Academy, Bk 4) on + 78 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
"'Omega' may be one of the best Jack McDevitts I've read so far. He stopped relying on tense-jam-everyone-must-get-out-of after tense-jam-everyone-must-get-out-of and started delving into ideas with more focus than he's shown in this series since the first novel, "The Engines of God". He raises some interesting questions about religion and human nature without beating you over the head with a message, and wraps it up in a pretty good yarn with some fine moments. Some aspects of the alien society he creates are a little difficult to swallow in that they're way too human - but in some ways, that's kind of the point. The civilization presented here are an innocent, almost idealized version of what we could be if we abandoned war and the like."
- Eric San Juan
lisareinke avatar reviewed Omega (Academy, Bk 4) on + 123 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
A fascinating book of the series. The Omega Clouds were a fascinating construct when introduced, and I was glad to see them revisited in this adventure. In the future of space exploration, we discover these clouds that seem programmed to wipe out anything in their path that shows geometric regularity, endangering Earth and other planets that previously or currently host intelligent life.

When a cloud breaks formation and heads to a planetary system, a society is discovered that has much in common with humanity, but is unaware of the danger they are in. How do we intervene in an ancient Greek/Roman level society to save the lives of the citizens with limited time?

Good stuff.
Read All 9 Book Reviews of "Omega Academy Bk 4"

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cyndij avatar reviewed Omega (Academy, Bk 4) on + 1030 more book reviews
Hutch takes on the Omega clouds again, but this time as an bureaucrat. Her role is now pretty limited, which is too bad as I think she is a more interesting character than the others in this story. Stuck on Earth she doesn't get to do much except answer the phone in the middle of the night. The plot unfolds pretty much the same as the others in this series - a major discovery, limited resources with which to explore it, a few characters make decisions that get them killed. It's kind of fun to look at the cast in the beginning and bet which of them won't make it. I would have liked the Goompahs to be a bit more alien, but that might be a different story. The very end of the book has a great sentence: "I wonder what we would have done if they were barbarians. Or looked like insects." Also a solution to the Omega clouds! That was interesting, and the reason for them was as good as any.
reviewed Omega (Academy, Bk 4) on + 47 more book reviews
Like the other McDevitt books I've read this was a love hate relationship. I enjoyed the story A LOT, but he drifts off into silly side stories that add nothing to the plot and just annoy the reader. I think he does it to heighten suspense, but after reading a few of his book I've learned to skim about 50% of the text and get to the interesting parts.
Omega had an above average ending for a McDevitt book. I give him 3 stars due to his outstanding imagination and his ability to keep me interested even while slogging through his literary mud.


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